Catenary hanger



Nov. 2 1926 H. N. RICHARDS CATENARY HANGER Filed Oct. 16. 1922 5 m mh TCN,.| w. NN, m w O H Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

` UNITED ASTATES Partnr i "orrfrcfsg HOIVARD N. RICHARDS, OF PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLIANIA, ilrSSIGr-IIT@ItV 'yIO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC @cMANUFACTURING GQBIIPANY, A GOREORATIONOF PENNSYL- vente.

CAIENARY HANGER.

Application filed {lctober 16,1922. Serial No. 594,746.

My invention relates to trolley hangers, or the like, of the classhaving movable clamping jaws, and has particular relation to catenaryhangers.

In certain devices of the above class, screw means are employed forretaining the clamp ing jaws in operative positionf Such screw means,being Separate or removable from the clamping portion of the device,requires manual insertion during the application of the jaw members tothe trolley conductor,

and manual removal in separating the jaw members therefrom. During suchvoperations, the connecting' screw means in trolleyhanger devices of theprior art frequently become mislaid `or fall out of place, thus causingloss of time and inconvenience in the re-A covery and replacementthereof.

My invention has for its object, to provide screw means, or the like,that will, at all times, be retained in operative position for use,whether in the application of the hanger device to the trolley conductoror the sepa.

ration of the device therefrom.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a view, in side elevation, of a trolley hanger embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a view, partially in end elevation and partially in transversesection, taken along the line II-II, of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a portion of thehanger, taken along the line III- III of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawing, the hanger rod or strap 5 is provided, at itslower end, with a pair of clamping members or jaws 6 and 7,respectively, which are adapted to engage the trolley conductor 8therebetween. Both the hanger rod and the clamping members thereof maybe of any approved form and provided with any suitable means ofconnection. In the preferred form, however, the jaws are formed of sheetmetal.

The respective clamping members 7 and 6 are provided with oppositelydisposed registrable openings 9 and 10 for the reception of a clampingscrew or screws 11. Each opening 9 is countersunk, by means of anannular flange portion 12, to such depth that the conical head of thescrew 11 will be ap proximately flush with the outer surface of the jaw7 Each opposite opening 10, formed within a cylinder or boss 13, hassuflicient length of thread to also avoid pro'- trusion of the screw 11beyond the out-er surface of the jaw 6. i

Each of the screws 1'1 `has an annular groovedll; cut or otherwisemachined around the shank, atthe base of the head, and is furtherprovided with a longitudinally disposed opening-15 by which thescrewfmay. be operatedfnom either end: by a socket wnench,

Initially., the opening), at its inner end, is suflicientlylarge to,permit. the passa-ge of the screw shank therethrough,.asfindicated bydotted lines in Fig. 3.

During assembly, each screw is positioned with its head in thecountersunk opening, after which the flange portion 12 is swaged tosufliciently contract it into the groove 14 of the screw (as shown insolid lines in Fig. 3) to effect a loose interlocking engagement withthe clamp jaw. This interlocking, while entirely preventing loss of thescrew 11, is, however, such as will permit free operation thereof.

Each screw being assembled withV the clamping jaw 7 as -above set forth,it will be readily apparent that the screw may be freely operated ineither direction to engage or be disengaged from the opposite clampingjaw G without danger of becoming detached or lost.

TWhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, changes in, or substitution of various parts, theirarrangement and co-operation may be made within the scope of the.invention as set forthl in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A trolley-conductor device provided with conductor-securing members,one of said members being adapted to carry and retaina one-piece memberadapted to connect the other thereto.

2. A trolley-conductor device provided with separable conductor-clampingmembers and a onepiece connecting means therefor, said means beingassembled with, and re tained by, one member only and adapted to connectthe other thereto.

3. A trolley-conductor device provided with a pair of conductor-clampingmembers and having a one-piece screw connecting means, said means beingcarried and retained in operative position by one of said members forconnection to the other.

t. A trolley-conductor device provided with a pair of oppositelydisposed conductorclamping members and a one-piece screw connectingmeans therefor, said connecting means being carried and retained by, andextending inwardly from, one member and adapted for connection to theother.

5. A trolley-conductor device provided with a pair of conductor-clampingmembers and a screw connector therefor, said connector being operativelyattached at one end to and carried by the one member, the other endthereofl being adapted for screw connection to the other member.

6. The combination with one of the clamping members of atrolley-conductor device, of a screw rotatably xed thereto forconnection to another clamping member.

7 The combination with one of a pair of clamping members of atrolley-conductor device, said one member having an opening surroundedby Ya `fla-nge, of a screw adapted :tor connecting another memberthereto and having a peripheral groove; said screw7 being operativelycarried by engagement o'l said flange with said groove.

8. A conductor hanger compris-ing a meinber having' an opening' thereinto receive a screw head, there being an annular ange about said opening,and a screw having its head disposed in said opening and provided withan annular groove into which said flange projects to form aninterlocking connection with the member.

9. A trolley-conductor device comprising a sheet-metal jaw member havingan inwardly-tni'ned iiange surrounding an opening, and a connectingmember` provided with a groove engaged by said flange for looselyinterlocking the tvvo members.

n testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day ofGotober 1922.

HOVARD N. RlCHAR-DS.

